changes

Siri tells users: Get to the point

If you're the type of person who asks long-winded questions, Siri would like to change your ways.

Apple's server-powered software assistant is now telling users to trim down questions that are too long or otherwise complicated -- a move that iLounge suggests is to retrain how users interact with the service versus an actual human being.

If Siri deems your question verbose, the software will serve up quotes that suggest brevity, a comedic -- though also passive-aggressive -- move. Some of the quotes come from author William Strunk, former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, and fictional characters like … Read more

A little black dress that speaks to schizophrenia

At first glance, it's a black dress festooned with colorful embroidery. But Nikki Day had much more than style in mind when threading the intricate pattern into the garment's left side.

The British fashion design and knitwear student researched the morphology of various classes of cortical neurons and then embroidered images to reflect the theory of schizophrenia as a disease of aberrant brain circuit connectivity.

"The dress is tight and slightly restricts movement to reflect the effect these brain cell malfunctions can have in limiting people with the disease in everyday life," she says. "The intricate needlework draws you in and before you know it you are discussing how the cortical neural circuits are formed." … Read more

Rush Limbaugh: iPad great tool in fighting global warming 'hoax'

If you're 13 years old, live in Wilmington, Ind., and it's cold outside, it surely makes you wonder about this global warming thing.

How can there be global warming when your personal globe is freezing?

How can you find out whether all this scientific mumbo-jumbo is just a giant gumbo of mumbling nonsense?

You do it the old-fashioned way: You go to the library.

Once you've found the evidence, you call Rush Limbaugh and tell him. This is extreme wisdom, as Limbaugh has -- at least in the past -- been very skillful at raising issues and … Read more

Monitor Web pages for updates and other changes with Changes Meter for Mac

RSS feeds offered on Web sites usually don't provide enough information regarding the changes that may have occurred. Changes Meter for Mac provides an additional and more enhanced monitoring option of selected Web sites.

Available as freeware, Changes Meter for Mac installs easily and takes up little hard-drive space. Instructions would have been useful, although the program targets more advanced users with specialized needs who can probably figure it out on their own. In terms of interface, there is little to the program except for a small button that appears next to the wireless indicator on the Mac top … Read more

Facebook's face-lift brings more feeds

CNET Update is the only feed you need:

Facebook is rolling out changes to the News Feed, and Thursday's Update explains what's in store and why it matters.

But Facebook isn't the only social network with news. Twitter's app has a new search feature, Foursquare makes it quick to check-in, and Path adds new ways to message friends.

Watch CNET Update in the video above, and subscribe to the podcast via the links below.

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The 404 1,215: Where we stand up to stereotypes (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Beatles fan exhibits record store that only stocks The Beatles' "White Album," featuring more than 650 first pressings. Here's a preview.

- Stereotype.fm comes up with quirky statistics about music fans, like "MJ fans likely to join a cult."

- Nine new ways to sit, thanks to tech.

- Illegal music downloads took a nosedive in 2012.

- Check out Samsung/GameSpot's Unicorn Apocalypse contest for a chance to win $25k.

- Ghostbusters HQ Lego creation by Orion Pax.… Read more

Rename files using A Better Finder Rename for Mac

Larger hard drives have led to mass amounts of saved and hard-to-catalogue files. A Better Finder Rename for Mac can help rename your files into whatever cataloging system you wish. This is definitely useful when going through old files, but it's also useful to keep new files searchable.

A Better Finder Rename for Mac allows for quick renaming of files using a wide selection of customizable options. The program uses an easy drag-and-drop feature to select files. The user selects which criteria to apply for the suggested new names and then is given the option to modify the names … Read more

Apple tweaks Lightning spec following Kickstarter project gone awry

Apple has changed course on a technical specification that recently put a third-party charging accessory out of luck.

The company today said it's now allowing its newer Lightning adapter specification to coexist with the older (yet still quite popular) 30-pin adapter in the same accessory.

"Our technical specifications provide clear guidelines for developing accessories and they are available to MFi licensees for free," Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told CNET. "We support accessories that integrate USB and Lightning connectors, but there were technical issues that prevented accessories from integrating 30-pin and Lightning connectors so our guidelines did … Read more

Facebook privacy settings get reworked once again

Get ready -- Facebook is making changes to how users access its privacy settings, again. The social network hopes this latest overhaul will make the now bloated process easier to understand, according to a blog post today from Sam Lessin, a director of product for Facebook.

The changes, which come a day after Facebook implemented its new privacy polices, are mainly cosmetic. Facebook is not changing what settings you can set, except for the option to block searches of your profile within the social network. The network has already begun phasing out this feature and soon it will be removed … Read more

Dismal voter turnout may doom Facebook's quasi-democracy

Update, 12:10 p.m. PT: Well, it's past noon PT. Facebook hasn't officially called it yet, but a look at the Facebook app tallying votes, show only 588,923 votes cast. That's not nearly enough to make the decision of users stick.

So much for a quasi-democratic Facebook. So far, the social network's users haven't cast anywhere near enough votes to preserve users' ability to veto Facebook's policy changes.

Facebook users have until noon today to vote on Facebook's recently proposed policy changes relating to data use and privacy. Unless at least … Read more